When my daughter dropped off the grandkids, I was just an author's last name away from completing the grid. Neither the 6 year old nor the 2 year old knew who wrote The Sea the Sea, so I looked it up. The Row 11b answer would have given it to me, but I didn't have the first word of that phrase. Anyhow, its football season, and I enjoy the marching bands.

9:27 pm September 14, 2012

FLS wrote:

This puzzle format is particularly fun to solve, but must be devilish to create. Thanks, MS and WSJ!

7:26 am September 15, 2012

Shay wrote:

I, too, had to look up the author of The Sea, The Sea. Altogether, a really fun puzzle. Thank you Mr.
Shenk!

8:13 am September 15, 2012

Meg wrote:

Great puzzle! Thanks Mike.

I know it's a bit rude to hijack a blog, but if anyone's finished the new Maltby, could you let me know? I finished it, but some of the wordplay eludes me.

A very pleasant diversion and an enjoyable format. I love how figuring out part of a band helps get you to part of a row clue, and vice versa; the only real problem I have is when I can't figure out the first word of the first line OR the first word of the first band. I had the puzzle finished except for this snag....and then it all came together! Yippee!

11:23 am September 15, 2012

Blanche wrote:

Meg: For 34A, I agree, and I don't get the wordplay at all. For 34D, I see it as AA for the airline, followed by H for hospital; "part of a dentist's drill" would be to say "Ah." I often find the Maltby clues opaque and inelegant.

11:32 am September 15, 2012

Relaxed wrote:

Everything was coming together so nicely and relatively easily ... but then, just can't get 1st word of Row 1 and similarly 1st word of band. Help, please!

11:36 am September 15, 2012

Relaxed wrote:

OK, never mind. Got it. Was one vowel off. Now, it makes sense!

11:37 am September 15, 2012

Lib wrote:

I have the same problem that Relaxed does--Row 1 and Band 1 on the first word of each. Any clues? Thanks!

11:54 am September 15, 2012

Claudia wrote:

Lib - I've often heard the first word of band A followed by the word "idiot"

12:08 pm September 15, 2012

Alice wrote:

Just filled in the last square - or should I say the first square. Had the answer to A1 for a while, but couldn't reconcile it was correct because I was trying to spell the Row 1 answer with a Y - thrown off by the same used as a name, I guess. Enjoyable puzzle - like this format.

12:08 pm September 15, 2012

Meg wrote:

Blanche: Followed your reasoning exactly. I thought about "Say ahh", but that's what doctors say, not dentists. Dentists just say "Open". They don't use a penlight to look down your throat. I think I'm nitpicking at this point.

The wordplay for 34A is anagram TALE (reprinted) and put A DUD (a failure) around it (environmentally), which gives you a synonym for FLATTERED, not FLATTER. Well, that's the way I see it.

Posters: The above comments have nothing to do with Mike Shenk's wonderful Marching Bands.

12:11 pm September 15, 2012

sueonview wrote:

I finished it but the 10 Downing clue doesn't make sense. Any hints?

12:14 pm September 15, 2012

sueonview wrote:

Just got it. Spelled the LA law name wrong.

1:24 pm September 15, 2012

Confused Democrat wrote:

.....Running low on food & water..... on this vertginous sea of gridded words......parched and getting dryer by the minute, under the blazing noonday sun......can't drink seawater......or CAN I ??..........puzzle too hard for a low-ranking solver such as me.....It looked fun back in port......may have to decrease rations even further.......crew seriously considering cannibalism; leering looks my way....must keep cabin locked always from now on.......what manner of Man is this Mike Schenk, who can summon flame with neither flint nor tinder?!.......Navigator has found a giant sea downspout off to port.....seems to be made of a strange pattern of concentric bands, all onerously lurching and twisting in a clockwise direction......he says we must determine of our own accord the "breaks"we must sail through to make it to TetiaRoa without being engulfed by this aquatic monstrosity........runniing low on optimism....and replacement cat-o-9-tail tips......tell my fair wife that........

1:39 pm September 15, 2012

Blanche wrote:

Meg: Actually, my dentist does! He makes a thorough examination of the pharynx as well as the mouth --I guess that's why I got that one. Thanks for 34A -- I never would have figured that out.

I always enjoy the Marching Bands puzzles -- it's fun to see how everything comes together in the end.

2:39 pm September 15, 2012

Hople wrote:

This was fun. I don't know how he creates these things.

3:32 pm September 15, 2012

BobL wrote:

Row and Band A has got me, too. Claudia's hint didn't do it for me. Another hint?

4:07 pm September 15, 2012

Meg wrote:

Bobl: Same ones had me stumped for a while. Getting the 2nd clue for Row 1 helped a bit. Not a lock you need a key for. Think Shirley Temple.
Claudia's clue above is excellent for Band A first clue. He's a ______________ idiot! (3 syllables)

Meg & Blanche,
I agree that the Malty's 34D wordplay has to be airline + hospital, which is more of a doctor's drill. But I'm ok with with, since dentists do the drilling & Maltby wanted this to be a punny puzzle. I agree with both of you that 34A was a bit of a dud, though. Copied the puzzle at the library this afternoon & solved it in just 2 cups of coffee. Not so very difficult, and I did enjoy the hint puns!

4:45 pm September 15, 2012

Bill the Second wrote:

Row 1 (both answers) would be a great title for a Harlequin Romance.

5:12 pm September 15, 2012

Lenox wrote:

How about a clue for the second word in Row 2? "A matter of degrees"

5:50 pm September 15, 2012

Blanche wrote:

Lenox: "Degrees" as in temperature.

8:45 pm September 15, 2012

Gold wrote:

Got stumped this morning on row and band A. I've read all your hints and totally think I know what the word ought to be - the 3-syllable "a _____ idiot" makes sense for what I have in mind. I've got the "shirley temple" clue for Row 1. It's just the first Row 1 clue that it just doesn't match to. I can't make a word that makes sense. Can someone give a clue for the Row 1 clue (as opposed to Band A?)

8:58 pm September 15, 2012

AnnP wrote:

Love this puzzle format. Contained some out of the ordinary words but nothing too obscure. For row 13 I first entered crude and lyricist but quickly changed both words!

10:24 pm September 15, 2012

Meg wrote:

Gold : It starts with a B.

10:26 pm September 15, 2012

phykos wrote:

Meg, Blanche & Downtime (this is a Harpers-related post, too): will someone explain the wordplay of 23D? The only thing I can come up with is a variant on OMG with Stephen in place of the Big Guy, but that seems a little convoluted, even for Mr. Maltby.

10:43 pm September 15, 2012

Lib wrote:

Thanks, Claudia, for the perfect hint! I love the Marching Band format!

11:14 pm September 15, 2012

Meg wrote:

phykos: You will groan. The 3 letters are in plain sight (I always miss these clues) frOM Sondheim

11:38 pm September 15, 2012

phykos wrote:

ouch (but thanks)

1:25 am September 16, 2012

Lynn wrote:

Thanks to those who gave hints for row one. For those still struggling think of a spirit from a very old movie. I, too would have spelled it with a "y" (like the name of an actress) but that would not fit the band answer. Now all I need is the author for band C.

1:33 am September 16, 2012

Lynn wrote:

Hated to do it, but had to look up the author. That's who I had in mind, but just couldn't come up with the last name. I had heard of her, but am not familiar with any of her work. Should we form a book club and start with that one?

6:08 pm September 16, 2012

JAB71 wrote:

Thanks to Lynn et al for the help on Row 1. I was racking my brain but your additional clues plus a hike among the Red Rocks of Colorado brought it home.

9:51 pm September 16, 2012

Cave Lady wrote:

Okay --- I am 72, and I absolutely love the way these guys make me think. I, too, was late with row 1 and A, but my real hang-up was 10b --- I guess it's been a while!

Thankyou Mike & WSJ --- see you all next week.

9:47 am September 17, 2012

DB wrote:

Great puzzle. Once I got going it was gangbusters until having to figure out the author of "The Sea, The Sea". Shamefully googled that and got all the way to Band 1 and A1 when I got stuck again. Used some of the hints hear to piece that one together and learned a new word.

11:42 am September 17, 2012

DonP wrote:

Looks like many of us were in the same boat with "The Sea". I also had to look up the author, but as usual realized I should have gotten it with the across clue. Thanks to all for the help with 1 and A. Nice puzzle.

2:30 pm September 17, 2012

d/t wrote:

If you enjoy the marching bands, Nathan Curtis has an interesting variation. Same 13 rows top to bottom, but his bands are inward & outward spirals. He put one of these “Whirlwind” puzzles on his Tortoiseshell website this month. It’s a toughie (I thought) but fun to solve.

9:45 pm September 17, 2012

Braze wrote:

Hi everyone. Meg alerted me to her threadjacking, as well as to the fact that the Maltby came out in print before the harpers.org site had it. Since there seems to be a lot of quibbling going on (I think Meg's right), I opened up a thread for you over at http://thenationcryptic.blogspot.com. Come on over, and stay for the Kosman/Picciotto cryptics each week, as well as our Sunday brunch.

ObMarchingBands: 1A and C3 have me hung too.

10:20 pm September 17, 2012

Meg wrote:

Anybody doing the Harper's Maltby cryptic, there is a blog to post your comments.

If you have questions or comments about the Maltby cryptic, you can go to:

thenationcryptic dot blogspot dot com

I really appreciate WSJ offering us this blog to discuss the WSJ puzzles, so I think it might be a good idea to take Maltby somewhere else. Harper's has no forum for us.

This blog doesn't allow the posting of links; hence the "cryptic" address above.

5:11 pm September 18, 2012

Bill the Second wrote:

Thank you, Meg. Warm welcome over there.

10:27 pm September 18, 2012

d/t wrote:

That sounds like a good plan. The Nation site is more of a discussion blog. At WSJ, comments intermingle and create confusion.

I, too, wondered about the thwart answer in the other puzzle. I looked it up and was reminded that the word also has a nautical meaning. Both thwart & athwart are synonyms for across. Now, no more Maltby comments (unless someone else starts it!)

6:40 pm September 19, 2012

Blanche wrote:

Also, folks, check out the Facebook group "The Puzzler (and other cryptic crosswords)."

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About WSJ Puzzles

WSJ Puzzles is the online home for America’s most elegant, adventurous, and addictive crosswords and other word games. Try your hand at our traditional crossword on Fridays, from a roster of the nation’s best constructors. On Saturday you’ll find a rotating assortment of cryptics, acrostics and puzzles with ingenious new shapes, from puzzle-masters Emily Cox, Henry Rathvon, Patrick Berry, and Mike Shenk.